Common Audi S4 Faults: Reliability, Solutions And Problems!

The Audi S4 is a luxury sports compact sedan featuring a simple yet luxurious interior, a powerful engine and Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive technology. It could be appreciated from different models such as the C4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, avant and sedans. If you are interested in knowing the common failures of the Audi S4 , continue reading this article.

Although luxury vehicles tend to depreciate more than their non-luxury counterparts, the Audi S4 holds up well against depreciation. The S4 will lose 49% of its value in 5 years, which is quite modest.

Although the S4 has many features up its sleeve, buying any car comes with its share of risk when it comes to reliability. No owner has perfect knowledge about the condition of his vehicle. Therefore, we will tell you about the experiences of previous owners of the Audi S4 throughout its 30-year history and we will identify which models have common problems.

How good is the Audi S4?

Unfortunately, the Audi S4 doesn’t have a good reputation when it comes to reliability. It was given a disappointing score of only 2.0 out of 5.0. This is below average, according to websites.

The annual repair cost for the Audi S4 is approximately $1,200 . By comparison, the average annual cost of repairing a saloon is half. The S4 will also require repairs more often, and the likelihood of those repairs being serious is also higher than the average vehicle.

But curiously, owners expect the annual maintenance costs of the Audi S4 to be high and are not bothered by it. This is because most of them buy the vehicle for its performance, not its reliability. The S4’s performance appeal could also be why it doesn’t depreciate as much as other luxury vehicles.

Common failures of the Audi S4

The S4 is known to have a lot of problems. In this article, we are going to cover common Audi S4 failures. Luckily, most of them are minor and can be fixed with a simple change of parts.

1- Thermostat failure

Owners have reported that the 2004 to 2011 Audi S4 may overheat due to a faulty thermostat. The thermostat is responsible for facilitating or restricting the flow of coolant into the engine, depending on whether the engine is running hot or cold.

Instead of opening or closing based on temperature, the faulty thermostat would get stuck in the open or closed position.

The thermostat plays a crucial role in a vehicle’s cooling system. If not taken into account, faulty thermostats can cause severe overheating that can lead to engine damage.

This happened to one owner, who has reported that his thermostat was unfortunately stuck in the closed position, preventing coolant from getting into his engine. Engine damage from overheating was expensive to repair.

It’s a good thing that the overheating problem is only caused by the thermostat. Replacing the thermostat will fix this problem. You can get replacement thermostats for the Audi S4 for around $20 to $100.

2- Turbo failure

The turbochargers in some 1997 to 2001 Audi S4s are known to fail. Turbo misfires are characterized by a loss of power , a hissing noise from the engine, smoke coming from the exhaust, and perhaps a check engine light.

To prevent this, owners should allow the oil to warm up and circulate through the components before going full throttle. This prevents excessive wear on the engine and turbocharger. Like engines, turbochargers in modern vehicles are expected to last as long as the vehicle.

However, their poor design could be why they tend to fail after a few years. A replacement turbocharger for the Audi S4 costs between $500 and $1,000.

3- Engine oil leak problems

The 2000 to 2002 Audi S4 tends to leak oil from various engine seals. The most common components that develop a leak are the valve cover gaskets and the cam chain tensioner gasket.

One owner has reported that S4 oil leaks are quite common. Even though it only has 17 reports on reliable sites, owners should regularly check their S4 for oil leaks.

Although small oil leaks can be insignificant, if your S4’s engine starts to leak significant amounts of oil, then it could be bad. Replacing the faulty gaskets should stop the oil leakage . Valve cover gasket replacement typically costs $70-$120.

4- Premature wear of the brakes

Brake pads on the 2012 Audi S4 have been known to wear out earlier than usual. Although some pages only have one report on record, other websites report that around three owners needed to have rotors and pads replaced early.

When one of the owners needed his brakes replaced at 10,000 miles at the dealer, the dealer refused to fix them, just told him to be more careful with his brakes. Six months later the owner returned with warped rotors and brake pads worn to only 4mm.

Replacement brake disc and pad kit can cost as little as $70 , but carbon ceramic brake disc and pad kits can cost as much as $500.

There are many more problems reported by S4 owners. These issues can range from needing to replace oxygen sensors, ignition coils, and spark plugs to strange noises coming from the sedan’s chassis.

Luckily, there doesn’t seem to be a recurring problem that is expensive to repair. Given the number of parts known to have problems, you should inspect your Audi S4 regularly to ensure there are no faulty components that could lead to major repairs.

In summary

In general, the Audi S4 is a car that constantly needs regular maintenance and maintenance. Unlike most sedans, the Audi S4 is not a car to be neglected.

If you’re not sure if an Audi S4 is right for you, we hope knowing the common Audi S4 failures will help you make an informed decision. Although an unreliable saloon can be expensive to maintain, sometimes it’s worth tackling some common problems if owning a high-performance car can bring you a lot of joy.